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By Ned Simons - 1st April 2011
European weakness will lead to Nato becoming a 'paper tiger', the alliance's former secretary general has said.
Speaking in the House of Lords this afternoon Lord Robertson said Europe, despite its relative prosperity and economic muscle, was still not able to act in its own self-interest without US leadership and military capabilities.
"One of the most despairing aspects of events in the past few weeks has been the disunited and pretty undignified squabble among European members of NATO about how to organise a multinational no-fly zone," he told peers.
And he called on European powers to cease their overreliance on American technology as it undermined their claims of independence at a time when the United States was tired of coming to the continents resuce.
"Only two nations—America and this country—were able to use precision cruise missiles at the beginning of this crisis and to have a decisive effect on Gaddafi’s military power," he said.
"No other nation in Europe has that capability. What a mockery it makes of the grand ambitions for Europe to be robust, self-sufficient and independent of US influence and power."
He told peers that unlike the European Union and the United Nations, the Western military alliance was not a "monolithic organisation with its own corporate identity".
"We should realise that NATO is the sum of its parts. Unlike the EU and the UN, NATO is not some monolithic organisation with its own corporate identity and a vast bureaucracy; it is as powerful or as feeble as its member states want it to be.
He added: "When nations put national interests and primitive rivalries before collective security and collective action, NATO becomes a paper tiger in an increasingly complex and dangerous international jungle."
The former Labour defence secretary said it was "scandalous" that while there were almost twice as many Europeans as there are Americans, the continent was only able to deploy two or three per cent of them beyond its borders.
He told the upper chamber: "Europe had better wake up to the challenge that it faces at this historic moment.
"Loud noises and self-congratulation about Arab awakening and Arab 'springs' as the masses rise up against dictatorships will simply turn to dust if one uprising leads to a new repressive regime."
Lord Robertson made his comments as peers discussed the situation in Libya and the wider Middle East today.
On Thursday Nato took full command and control of the no-fly zone over Libya.
Britain's military locker 'pretty bare'
Peers also heard from the former chief of defence staff, Sir Jock Stirrup, who warned that Britain's defences were now spread extremely thin.
"What little we have had left in the locker over the past couple of years for dealing with other contingencies has consisted mainly of air and maritime capabilities," he told peers.
"These have largely been consumed by the Libya operation, so that locker is now looking pretty bare.
He said that the government should take care before committing forces to take into account the risks to the national interests elsewhere such as from Iran.
Failing to do so could leave Britain "strategically unbalanced" he warned.
"We are spreading our Armed Forces very thin. They will do what is asked of them, but for all their can-do attitude, they are a finite resource—and ever more finite by the month."
Sir Jock said it appeared clear to him that the only satisfactory endgame for the current Libya end game would be the removal of Colonel Gaddafi.
"It seems to me clear that the political objective has to be the removal of Gaddafi," he said.
"It seems to me inconceivable that Gaddafi would now forgive and forget those who have come out in opposition to his regime, so they will continue to be under threat, and therefore continue to need protection all the while Gaddafi remains in power."
Article Comments
Ex chiefs of defence have been routinely ignored for years by successive governments. In fact military history is festooned with their weary warnings and pleas for politicians to think things through as lives will be wasted. And yet, even now, while launching attacks from 4star hotels in Italy on Libya, we are moth balling our aircraft carriers, shrinking our fighting forces and cannibalising our war machines.
This is the work of government's without a clue. If you want to project military power then invest in the capability, otherwise stick to 'jaw jaw', not 'war war'.
Shane
22nd Apr 2011 at 9:23 am
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